Unusual creatures of the world. Exotic animals (38 photos). The most unusual mammals
Nature has never repeated her creations twice. It only moves forward, creating more and more new species, among which there are amazing creatures that can amaze even a person experienced in zoology.
We have compiled a list that includes some of the most unusual animals in the world, but if you are also interested in reading about animals with the most unusual behavior, you can get acquainted with them in this article.
The most unusual birds
Red-crested turaco
A bird whose plumage contains true green and red colors is the red-crested turaco, the only bird with this coloration. Water that gets on the red feathers of a turaco turns red due to the high copper content in the plumage pigment. 
hatchet bird
Is it possible to fly underwater? It turns out that it is possible - and the hatchet bird proves it. While getting food underwater, it literally flies using its wings. Waterfowl can function comfortably at depths of up to 100 meters. 
Blue-footed booby
Blue-footed boobies, inhabitants of the Galapagos Islands and the Pacific coast of America, look comical. The gannet is easy to recognize – its webbed feet are blue. During the mating season, males show off their blue legs by dancing in front of females. 
The most unusual mammals
Tarsier
The tarsier has a large head, disproportionate to the size of the body. The mammal can rotate it almost 360 o. Another characteristic feature of the tarsier is the ability to communicate with relatives using ultrasonic waves. 
Echidna
The echidna, endemic to Australia and New Guinea, is a unique animal, unlike any other creature on the planet. It is a mammal, but the echida's offspring hatch from eggs. The echidna's mouth is so small that it is unable to grab anything with it, but it pulls out a long tongue from its mouth, and food sticks to it. 
Despite their size, the animals swim well even over long distances. Keen vision allows the echidna to instantly identify danger even at night and hide in crevices, and if there are none nearby, powerful front paws come to the rescue, digging a hole in the ground in no time. If the soil is hard, the echidna curls up into a ball, exposing its entire arsenal of needles.
Malaysian bear or biruang
The mammal from the bear family lives in India, China, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Indochina Peninsula. Biruang is a stocky, strong animal with a wide and short muzzle. At the same time, it has high limbs with disproportionately large paws, which, in turn, are distinguished by large curved nails. 
The Malaysian bear is black in color, except for a yellow-roan face and a red or white horseshoe-shaped spot on the chest. The animal is nocturnal; During the day, the biruang sleeps or basks in the sun on tree branches, where it has something like a nest. It is considered practically the rarest species of bear.
Komondor
An interesting breed of dog is the Hungarian Komondor Shepherd. Representatives of this breed resemble either a giant mop on four legs or a dreadlocked Rastafarian - this is due to the unique structure of the coat, the length of which can reach one meter. The owners of such a dog are spared from daily manipulations with a brush - its fur is simply impossible to comb - but they still need to visit the groomer, because as the strands grow, they need to be separated to avoid matting. The long white hair is curled into peculiar laces, which make the Komondor's appearance even more impressive. 
Star-nosed mole
An insectivorous mammal from the mole family. It can only be found in the Northeastern United States or Southeastern Canada. Externally, the animal is very different from other representatives of moles. Only it has a peculiar stigma structure, which resembles a star of 22 fleshy, soft, moving and bare rays. When a mammal is looking for food, all the rays on the stigma, except the two middle and upper ones, move. During the absorption of food, the rays are pulled together. 
Angora rabbit
This rodent looks very impressive. Among them there are individuals with a coat length of up to 80 centimeters. The wool of the Angora rabbit is very valuable - many useful things can be made from it, from scarves and socks to underwear and fabric. Wool is sold by the kilogram and sells out instantly. 
From one rabbit you can get up to 0.5 kilograms of wool per year. Most often, women own this funny animal, which is why it is sometimes called “ladies’.” Representatives of the breed grow up to 61 centimeters in length and reach a weight of up to 5 kilograms. Rabbits need to be brushed weekly, otherwise they start to look downright ugly.
Lesser (red) panda
This animal belongs to the raccoon family and lives in China, Bhutan, Northeast India, Northern Burma, and Nepal. It can be found in bamboo forests that grow at 2000-4000 meters above sea level. The animal has nut or red fur on top, black or dark reddish-brown underneath. And on the back, the ends of the hair are colored yellow. The tail is red, the paws are black, the head is light, and the muzzle and tips of the ears are white. Along the eyes there is a pattern resembling a mask. The red panda is active at night, at dusk, and sleeps in a hollow during the day. 
Sloth
The partially toothed mammal lives in South and Central America. Almost all the time, sloths hang on trees with their backs down, spending 15 hours a day sleeping. The behavior and physiology of sloths are aimed at saving energy, so the animals’ diet consists of only leaves, and this is quite enough for them.Life of sloths
Nature gave sloths a long neck so that they could reach leaves without unnecessary movements. As a result, the animals practically do not leave the top of the tree, leaving their homes about once a week to fulfill their natural needs. Sometimes sloths gather in groups and also lazily mate.
Imperial tamarin
The prehensile-tailed monkey lives in the rain forests near the Amazon River. You can distinguish it from other monkeys by its long white mustache, which hangs down to the shoulders, giving the tamarin a resemblance to some ancient Chinese philosopher. 
Emperor tamarins live in isolated groups of up to 10 individuals, climbing trees where access to larger primates is denied. The pack maintains an extremely strict hierarchy; each member of the family has a specific role. The highest rank is that of the oldest female. She does not care for the cubs, paying attention to them only during feeding with milk, and the babies spend most of the time in the company of adult males.
White-faced saki
This bizarre primate lives in South America, among dense rain forests. It is extremely easy to determine whether a monkey belongs to this species; it is enough to notice the characteristic cream color of the head, contrasting with the dark fur on the body. Unlike most South American primates, the white-faced saki does not use its tail to cling to tree branches. It uses a long, bushy appendage for balance during long leaps from branch to branch. 
Tapir
A herbivorous equid animal that lives in warm places in South America, Central America, and Southeast Asia. Newborn tapirs resemble a hybrid of a wild boar and an anteater; adult individuals resemble the fruits of the union, again, of an anteater and a panda. 
The tapir's hind legs are three-toed, and its front legs are four-toed. Small hooves on the fingers help animals walk on muddy and soft ground.
Tapirs are afraid of humans and run away at the sight of bipeds - many years of experience suggest that they will not hesitate to kill for meat and skin.
Unusual fish
Clown fish
The males of this fish, popular among aquarists, can change their sex. An undeniable hierarchy reigns in a school of clown fish: a dominant pair is selected from among the entire population. The remaining members of the family are male individuals who not only do not receive privileges in the form of the opportunity to mate, but are also forced to control their growth in order to avoid jealousy on the part of the alpha male. If the leader female dies, then her partner changes sex and becomes a female himself, and one of the “reserve players” takes on the role of the dominant male. 
Crocodile fish
The crocodile fish, or scientifically the spotted flathead, actually looks like a green predator. For the sake of camouflage, it uses a spotted color, becoming gray or green depending on the color of the bottom. 
Saberfish
A terrifying-looking fish lives in the ocean at great depths. Its second name is “man-eating fish.” The sabertooth's teeth are so long that they have a kind of sheath on both sides of the fish's brain. The saber tooth quickly pierces its victim several times with its nail-like teeth. Adults are very different from young fish. The difference is so great that scientists only realized after fifty years of research that the young and adult individuals are representatives of the same species. 
Hagfish
Unusual jawless animals that can be found in the seas of temperate latitudes at depths of up to 400 meters. The second name for hagfish is witch fish. The life support system of these creatures is salt water. If the percentage of salt content in the water drops to 29%, then hagfish stop feeding, and at 25% and below they simply die. 
Hagfish - witch fish
Leafy Sea Dragon
The official emblem and symbol of South Australia. This fish, a member of the needlefish family and a relative of the seahorse, is found exclusively in the southern and western seas of Australia. The processes of the body and head of the fish are similar to leaves - they serve for camouflage in shallow water. Predators confuse the bizarre creature with algae and do not even try to attack it.Leafy sea dragon on video
The leafy sea dragon swims with the help of an absolutely transparent pectoral fin, which is located on the crest of the neck, and also a colorless dorsal fin in the tail area.
There are other unusual creatures that appeared on our planet thanks to human intervention. For example, a pizzle bear or a liger. Read about the most unusual hybrids on the website.
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Almost all children adore encyclopedias about animals; they easily remember information about the habits of exotic animals, and can show the point on the map where unusual animals live. This is how they enrich their horizons with truly broad biological knowledge. Over time, this interest subsides, but the natural world is still amazing and diverse. This means that at any age you can get carried away by the story called “in the animal world.” You can bet that you have not only never seen some of the heroes of this article, but you didn’t even suspect that such specimens were found in nature. And these are not just birds of strange colors or scary insects, the sight of which alone can make you lose consciousness; among the unique animals of our planet are the cutest primates, dolphins with long “noses” and simply gothic crocodiles. And if you organize a hunt for these animals, then only with the prefix “photo”.
So, a selection - The most interesting animals in the world
Proboscis
Photo: The most interesting animals in the world. Proboscis
This animal is not entirely inglorious: it is very photogenic because it has a really significant advantage - its remarkable nose. Such a huge nose does not spoil the monkey: the cute creature makes everyone smile. Proboscis monkeys live on the island of Barneo, which belongs to the Malay archipelago. The potato nose decorates not only males, but also females.
Primates live in forest areas. Their favorite time is the afternoon and evening, during this period they organize a real “movement”, but in the dark and early in the morning they prefer to rest.
Proboscis monkeys do not grow higher than 75 cm; adult individuals weigh about 22 kg. The monkeys' fur is yellowish-brown, sometimes turning white. There is no hair on the reddish-brown muzzle.
Proboscis monkeys, by the way, are excellent swimmers. Not every monkey, to put it mildly, can boast that it can swim 20 m underwater. Moreover, these are the best swimmers among primates. They can also walk vertically: only people, gibbons and, in fact, proboscis monkeys do this. Scientists have not yet understood why they have such a big nose; they agreed that it is simply a symbol of attractiveness. Unfortunately, such charming monkeys are in danger: this is due to active deforestation.
Tarsier
They say about such people: “Haven’t you acted in cartoons?” Indeed, the appearance of this animal literally begs to be shown on the screen. This is also a primate, but very small and completely different from its relatives. The eyeball's body weight is about 160 g. Females are slightly larger than females, their height reaches a maximum of 16 cm (and these are giants). The tarsier fits perfectly in the hand.
What is very big about the tarsier is its long tail - about 30 cm. The animal also has long paws, with which it pushes off. The animal has long fingers on all its paws; they help it quickly and deftly climb branches and trunks.
The tarsier can also turn its head virtually 360 degrees. The animal has large ears compared to its head, which are capable of detecting sounds with a frequency of up to 90 kHz. There are special facial muscles on the tarsier’s face, thanks to which it changes its “facial” expression. This is the oldest animal in the Philippine Islands; they used to be seen in Europe and North America, but the tarsier population is rapidly declining.
Star-nosed
Photo: The most interesting animals in the world. Star-nosed
The name is quite cute, but the beast itself certainly cannot be called handsome. This is a mole that often comes to the surface of the earth. But, of course, this is not its main difference. His pride is his outstanding nose. Actually, it’s not even a nose, but tentacles that grow around a bare oval stigma. This is all shaped like an asterisk.
Only two out of twenty-two rays are motionless, the rest are constantly exploring the world around them. By the way, thanks to these tentacles, the starfish immediately determines whether the food is fit for consumption.
His life is a constant digging of underground passages, some of them lead to the so-called “rest chambers”, some to a reservoir. In general, one can call the starfish an excellent logistician.
Tasmanian devil
Photo: The most interesting animals in the world. Tasmanian devil
Sometimes it is also called the marsupial devil. The mammal received such an outrageous nickname for the heartbreaking screams it makes at night. The Tasmanian devil also has a mouth with large teeth; it loves to tear meat with its sharp fangs, which also does not add to its cuteness.
The marsupial devil itself is like a dog or a small bear: if you don’t open your mouth, then there’s nothing terrible, in general. Males are larger than females, the former weighing about 12 kg. In reality, the Tasmanian devil is scary. Its appearance is deceptive for the time being: one bite and the victim’s skull and spine are bitten.
The marsupial devil lives in Tasmania. Tasmanian devils used to live in Australia, but it seems that dingoes exterminated these animals. In front it has a fold of skin where the animal can carry its young. It is interesting that the female has only 4 nipples, and the offspring is huge - 30 babies, so nature itself adjusts the number of scavenger animals.
Red panda
Photo: The most interesting animals in the world. Red panda
Otherwise known as a fire cat or a bear cat. Actually, the rare animal does not particularly resemble a cat: it is larger, the head is large, the tail is wide, the paws are strong and powerful. What the red panda can rightfully boast of is its unusual color. The coat is unevenly colored, darker underneath, red or hazel on top. The paws are black, the head is light with a white border along the edges.
It is also interesting that absolutely every panda has its own muzzle color. It is impossible to find two identical pandas - and in this they are undoubtedly unique beauties.
In the photo, these are absolute cuties whose fluffy fur just makes you want to stroke them. In life they are quite peaceful, however, if they need to fight for their place in the sun, pandas can behave aggressively. Animals are nocturnal: during the day they prefer to relax and soak up the sun. They like to sleep in a hollow, curled up into a ball, covered with a gorgeous tail. These are very interesting animals: they even have their own language, somewhat reminiscent of the chirping of birds.
Sloth
Photo: The most interesting animals in the world. Sloth
If there was a competition on planet Earth for the cutest animal, the sloth would definitely be on the list of finalists. This charming animal from the order of incomplete teeth will probably make even the most serious person in the world smile.
A distinctive feature of the sloth, in addition to its attractive face, is two (or three, depending on who you choose) hook-shaped fingers. The animal reaches half a meter and weighs very little - 4-6 kg. The fur is brown-gray. The sloth's limbs are long, but its head is simply tiny. Thanks to his tenacious fingers, he attaches himself anywhere, hangs, swings, crawls, jumps.
Animals are truly unique: for example, their teeth do not have roots or enamel, but are so smooth that it is surprising where nature gets such precise patterns. True, two-toed sloths have two separate fangs. Its organs are arranged in a mirror image, and all because the sloth often hangs with its back down. They are very clean, mobile, active, tenacious. Sloths also have the strongest immunity.
Aardvark
Photo: The most interesting animals in the world. Aardvark
From a cute sloth to a not so cute aardvark. This beast is very strange, if you have read the Moomin saga by Tove Janson, you probably remember the character Sniff. So the aardvark is the spitting image of Sniff. Just absolutely smooth.
Nature played a joke on the poor fellow: the aardvark does not look very cute, but by nature it is a peace-loving, calm animal. His head looks like a gas mask with a pig snout, his ears are very large, reminiscent of a donkey. In some ways, the aardvark is similar to the anteater, but they are not related at all. He has 20 teeth, without enamel and roots, they grow throughout his life. In Africa, the animal was nicknamed the earth pig.
The aardvark is timid: when it sees a large animal or person, it immediately buries itself in the ground. During the day they are passive - they simply bask in the sun or sleep in their burrows. They get their food at night, they have a good sense of smell, and aardvarks are capable of moving over long distances.
Leafy Sea Dragon
Photo: The most interesting animals in the world. Leafy Sea Dragon
It is also more poetically called the sea pegasus. This animal has truly fantastic plumage. Greenish transparent fins cover its body and sway under the influence of water. Its amazing structure is only a practical necessity, as the animal disguises itself as algae in order to survive.
For all its apparent defenselessness, the sea dragon is a true predator. He loves to eat shrimp and small fish. The dragon has no teeth, and therefore simply sucks its prey. At the same time, in a literal sense without fish, a dragon can suck in garbage and even algae.
It is also a very “advanced” animal. The cubs are carried by males in a special pouch. That is, the female simply lays eggs in this bag, and everything else is the responsibility of the father. Fair distribution of family responsibilities, to say the least.
Rhinopithecus
Photo: The most interesting animals in the world. Rhinopithecus
It is a prominent member of the marmoset family. And prominent is a word that vividly defines the animal. This is a large monkey, females of which can reach 35 kg. Otherwise, the animal is called the Chinese snub-nosed monkey.
For a naturalist, this primate is simply beautiful. The eyes are huge, the nose is upturned, the fur is light and bright. In fact, they have practically no nose, which is why the muzzle looks flat. But since rhinopithecus live in a harsh climate, the lack of a long nose is justified, otherwise they would still freeze it.
Rhinopithecus spends most of its life in trees. The cubs are raised by both parents. Handsome people live in Chinese forests. Looking at them, it seems that the monkeys have bright masks on their faces - blue, bluish, yellowish. It even looks like their lips and eyebrows are painted. But no, this is the natural “face” of a monkey - this is how nature created it. But looking at this imitation of makeup, there is less and less doubt that man descended from a monkey.
Giant salamander
Photo: The most interesting animals in the world. Giant salamander
The Japanese (giant) salamander is, as some joke, a cousin of the chupacabra. An adult reaches 27 kg, which is a huge weight for an amphibian. Its body is covered with mucus, its head is flattened on top. The salamander has warty skin with fringes on the sides. The length of this monster (how else can I say it?) can reach 175 cm. It lives in Japan, in mountain rivers and streams with cool, clean water.
The salamander is nocturnal. Hunts insects, fish, amphibians and crayfish. Their vision is terrible, but their sense of smell is simply phenomenal. The salamander molts several times a year, and it can eat small particles of its own skin.
By the way, salamander meat is a real delicacy. Animals are also used to make medicines, and these drugs treat consumption, diseases of the digestive system, etc. Today, the giant salamander is on the verge of extinction.
Galago
Photo: The most interesting animals in the world. Galago
This is an African primate, which can also be called a cutie. Big eyes, round ears - the nocturnal animal is also quite emotional. His ears can curl into a tube: so if, after your stories, your friend’s ears curl up into a tube, as he himself says, check if he is a galago. In fact, such a rare skill helps the animal keep its ears intact: by making its way through foliage and thorny branches, there is no other way to save them.
Galago has become domesticated today. Yes, although this animal will be expensive, some people would not mind having such a pet. It leaves no fur, no dirt, no noise, and is not aggressive. But, for example, if you accidentally get crushed by the refrigerator door. And if you frighten a galago, it can scratch the weight. But this is not from aggression, but from the desire to protect oneself.
Tibetan fox
Photo: The most interesting animals in the world. Tibetan fox
And this is the smallest fox. It does not grow higher than 70 cm, while the fox’s tail is long – almost half a meter. The animal weighs almost 5 kg. The fox is very small, and only its fluffiness makes it, one might say, more or less like a fox.
Her fur coat is luxurious, warm, even with down. Clothes help her endure both the fierce cold and the unbearable heat.
What you will definitely remember about the Tibetan fox is its unusual head. The fur on it grows so that it seems as if the animal has a square head. And this strange head has very narrow eyes. This portrait is complemented by sharp ears. The fox looks calm, calm, in a word - a true inhabitant of Tibet.
An unusual fox lives for 10 years. But even this age is not allowed to reach her by a person. Foxes are killed mainly for their fur, although it is not particularly valuable. It turns out that, due to the will of the human factor, the fox lives two times shorter than expected: about 5 years.
Amazonian dolphin
Photo: The most interesting animals in the world. Amazonian dolphin
A rare collection that describes interesting facts about animals does without this character - the Amazonian dolphin. By the way, this animal has a brain 40% larger than a human brain. He moves his head 180 degrees perfectly.
What makes it unique? Outwardly, it differs from its brothers. He is even called the big-nosed miracle. The dolphin's muzzle and tail are narrow. The beak is even slightly curved. These nose-nosed whales live only in Latin America.
They are excellent at maneuvering while swimming, and would be offended if you called them slow. There is a stereotype that is unfair for Amazonian dolphins. They are not slow, they just don’t have the need to swim quickly.
Let us remember that dolphins are mammals - the female feeds the dolphin cubs with milk for up to a year (almost like in humans). Nosalises can get used to people, but they cannot be trained. In captivity, these animals are aggressive, so they cannot live in aquariums.
Gavial
Photo: The most interesting animals in the world. Gavial
Another miracle of nature - there’s no other way to say it. They also call him a guest from the past. This is a venerable crocodile that looks like a mythological animal. Gharials live in fast rivers with deep currents. It is difficult for them to move on land - they are not adapted for this.
The gharial's jaw is three times as long as it is wide. There are almost a hundred teeth in the crocodile's mouth. Long-snouts feed mainly on fish, but they do not disdain carrion. They don't attack living people.
The gharial has a soft tissue appendage on its snout. This is a resonator, thanks to which it can make a loud buzzing sound.
purple frog
Photo: The most interesting animals in the world. purple frog
This “beauty” lives in India, and certainly bears little resemblance to her more common relatives. And it's not just about color. It is very round, the head is small compared to the body of the purple frog. She lives only underground. They need a humid environment, so the purple frog solves the housing problem this way - it digs itself a deep hole and goes underground one and a half to three meters or even more.
The frog feeds mainly on termites - it simply cannot swallow other insects. But it can be easily reached: its small, sharp muzzle can fit anywhere. The frog's vision is poor, but its sense of touch is amazing: it easily gets its food.
Okapi (forest giraffe)
Photo: The most interesting animals in the world. Okapi
No one can say how many okapi live in the wild. They live in lowland tropical forests. At the same time, okapi resemble both a giraffe and a zebra. The stripes on their legs make them invisible in the forest. The animal leads a diurnal lifestyle.
Forest giraffes feed on leaves, shoots, and buds. Some plants found in the forest are toxic. Therefore, there is an opinion that okapi eat coal from burned forest trees: they say it serves as an antidote for them. Okapi will also not refuse to feast on mushrooms, fruits and ferns.
They do not like to live in groups; even females and males meet together only during the mating season. Forest giraffes live up to 33 years.
Sifaka
Photo: The most interesting animals in the world. Sifaka
A resident of Madagascar, who would be correctly called a prosimian, lives in rain forests, is awake during the day, and lives in family groups. Unlike the forest giraffe, which is not a big supporter of family values, the sifaka can be called an excellent family man.
There is an opinion that if you are walking around Madagascar and a sifaka appears on your way, then this is a good sign. You are going the right way - that’s what the sifaka wants to say. But this is only a belief, but what is known for sure is that this animal is very cute and touching. Local residents also claim that sifaka is an excellent healer. He alone knows how to find unique leaves that miraculously heal wounds.
Cream, white, black, orange - these animals can be different in color. The length of a sifaka's tail is equal to the length of its body. They are also simply outstanding jumpers: he will not even falter from the risky flight, which will impress any spectator. They are surprisingly flexible and photogenic: if you admire the animals in the photo, an association with ballet steps or even beautiful martial arts will clearly come to mind. That's right, what interesting animals!
Herbivore Dracula
Photo: The most interesting animals in the world. Herbivore Dracula
From the adorable sifaka to the not-so-cute herbivore Dracula. This is a South American relative of bats. To be honest, he no longer looks like a mouse, but like an angry monkey. The animal has a leathery growth on its muzzle, which does not at all give it any charm. But this seems like a deformity to us, but in the world of relatives, such a growth is assessed as a factor of sexual attractiveness.
During the day they visit dark places, gorges, and hide in ficus trees. They eat berries, seeds, fruits. In principle, nothing so terrible as their appearance suggests can be said about the herbivorous Dracula. But those huge bulging eyes and smiling mouth make the animal look terrifying.
Water deer
Photo: The most interesting animals in the world. Water deer
At first glance, this is an ordinary deer - nothing remarkable, nothing unique. Small tail, short hair, sparse undercoat. But this is only at first glance! Sharp saber-shaped fangs of about 6 cm protrude from the animal's mouth. A deer is like a deer, but with such fangs a quite cute animal becomes like a vampire.
Water deer live along the banks of swamps and rivers, feeding on grass, leaves and shoots. In the fight for the female, they organize real duels, and then they literally tear apart the opponent with their fangs. They live in Korea and China, but you can easily see water deer in zoos around the world. Looking at an animal, you wonder how nature manages to combine seemingly incompatible things. But there is nothing accidental about it.
Belttail
Photo: The most interesting animals in the world. Belttail
Another animal that seems to have come straight out of an illustration for fairy tales and myths. The reptile is distinguished by the fact that its entire body is covered with large scales, and on its back it is especially hard, like a shell. But on the belly the scales are thin, so this place on the belt-tail is really vulnerable. Towards the end of the tail, the scales run in circles along the rim of the body, thus creating peculiar belts with spikes.
Yes, the belt-tail is very reminiscent of a fairy-tale dragon. Animals live in groups, with two or three females for each male. They protect themselves from predators in a very unique way: small belt-tailed fish can curl up into a ring and bite their tail with such force that it is impossible to unhook it. The predator is simply unable to cope with this spiked ring.
sun bear
Photo: The most interesting animals in the world. sun bear
Otherwise, this bear is also called a honey bear. This animal does not hibernate, and therefore reproduces at any time of the year. They live for 30 years; a female can give birth to two babies per year. But this is not even what makes the sun bear interesting: it is not fluffy, not shaggy, but smooth. The dark bear with a yellow muzzle in the photo is just charming, unless it growls.
This is a real bear: in the sense that it loves honey very much. He has the most powerful jaws - with them the bear can even break coconuts. The animal has long and powerful claws, thanks to which it climbs trees well. And to extract honey and termites, the bear uses a long, agile tongue. The sun bear cannot boast of good eyesight, but his keen sense of smell does not let him down.
Mandarin duck
Photo: The most interesting animals in the world. Mandarin duck
Interesting animals of Russia are a special chapter of the world encyclopedia of animals. And how can one not remember the picturesque Mandarin duck? Green, red, orange, beige feathers – this duck is just so beautiful. It can be seen on the Amur, on Sakhalin, in the Khabarovsk Territory. True, these beauties fly to warmer climes for the winter.
This duck is a great teacher in the animal world. Her cubs become independent very early. No matter how high the nest is, they will jump out of there themselves. In this case there are no injuries. But what, or rather, from whom they suffer, is from wild animals. Because of the latter, the population of mandarin ducks is declining.
Amur leopard
Photo: The most interesting animals in the world. Amur leopard
If you think that leopards are only an African heritage, you are mistaken. A beautiful Amur leopard lives in the Russian Far East. It is also often called the Amur leopard.
This is a solitary animal that prefers a nocturnal lifestyle. In summer, his coat is bright, juicy, rich, and lighter in winter. In summer, the leopard's fur is no more than 2.5 cm, and in winter the fur coat becomes thicker - 7 cm. In captivity, the Amur leopard's belly is about 20 years old, in the wild - about 5 years less.
The animal is constantly hunted illegally. It is destroyed for the sake of valuable, beautiful fur. The leopard also feeds on deer. And since humans exterminate deer, this also affects the quality of the leopard’s diet and its survival. The animal is also on the verge of extinction.
Panda Ant
Photo: The most interesting animals in the world. Panda Ant
I would like to finish the list of unique inhabitants of the planet that are truly worthy of immortalization in the animated genre of the panda-ant. This insect is distinguished by its black and white color, which is why they resemble a panda. The insect is also called the velvet ant, since its body is covered with hairs.
But the cute ant is not so pleasant to deal with: it has a powerful toxin in its arsenal, which can kill even a cow in a few bites. They can resist their enemies; over the course of their evolution, panda ants have learned to defend themselves.
And this is only a small part of the amazing creatures that inhabit the planet. Studying them, examining them, getting to know them is a fascinating activity that can become a hobby for both children and adults.
1. Leafy Sea Dragon
What kind of animal: Sea fish, a relative of the seahorse.
Habitat: In the waters surrounding southern and western Australia, usually in shallow, moderately warm water.
Special features: Branches of the head and body, similar to leaves, serve only for camouflage. It moves using the pectoral fin located on the crest of the neck, as well as the dorsal fin near the tip of the tail. These fins are completely transparent.
Dimensions: grows up to 45 cm.
By the way: the leafy sea dragon is the official emblem of the state of South Australia.
2. Malayan bear or biruang
What kind of animal: Mammal of the bear family.
Habitat: From northeast India and southern China through Myanmar, Thailand, the Indochina and Malacca peninsulas to Indonesia.
Special features: Stocky, strong animal with a short and wide muzzle. The ears are short and rounded. The limbs are high with disproportionately large paws; the claws are very large, curved. Feet are bare. The fangs are small. The biruang's fur is short, stiff and smooth. The color is black, on the face it turns into roan-yellow. On the chest there is usually a large whitish or red spot in the shape of a horseshoe, reminiscent in shape and color of the rising sun. A nocturnal animal, it often sleeps all day or sunbathes in the branches of trees, where it builds a kind of nest for itself.
Dimensions: The smallest representative of the bear family: it does not exceed 1.5 m in length (plus a 3-7 cm tail), height at the withers is only 50-70 cm; weight 27-65 kg.
By the way: Biruangs are one of the rarest species of bears.
3. Komondor
What kind of animal: The Hungarian Shepherd is a breed of dog.
Special features: When keeping a Komondor, special care is required for its coat, the length of which can reach almost a meter. It cannot be combed, but as it grows, the formed strands must be separated so that the hair does not fall off.
Dimensions: This “king of the Hungarian Shepherds” is one of the largest dogs in the world, the height at the withers in males is more than 80 cm, and the long white hair, curled into original laces, makes the dog even more massive and impressive.
By the way: Feeding this huge dog is not particularly difficult. Like any herding dog, they are very unpretentious and eat very little, a little more than 1 kg of food per day.
4. Angora rabbit
What kind of animal: A rodent-type mammal.
Habitat: Where its home is, since it is a pet. More precisely - everywhere.
Special features: This animal is indeed extremely impressive; there are specimens whose fur reaches a length of up to 80 cm. This wool is very valued, and a wide variety of useful things are prepared from it, even underwear, stockings, gloves, scarves and, finally, just fabrics. A kilogram of Angora rabbit wool is usually valued at 10 - 12 rubles. One rabbit can produce up to 0.5 kg of such wool per year, but usually produces less. The Angora rabbit is most often bred by ladies, which is why it is sometimes called “ladies’ rabbit”.
Dimensions: Average weight 5 kg, body length 61 cm, chest circumference 38 cm, but variations are possible.
By the way: These rabbits should be combed every week, because if you don’t take care of their fur, they get a disgusting appearance.
5. Little panda
What kind of animal: an animal of the raccoon family.
Habitat: China, northern Burma, Bhutan, Nepal and northeastern India. Not found west of Nepal. Lives in mountain bamboo forests at an altitude of 2000-4000 m above sea level in a temperate climate.
Special features: The fur of the red panda is red or nutty on top, dark, reddish-brown or black below. The hair on the back has yellow tips. The paws are glossy black, the tail is red, with inconspicuous lighter narrow rings, the head is light, and the edges of the ears and muzzle are almost white, and there is a mask-like pattern near the eyes. The red panda leads a predominantly nocturnal (or rather, twilight) lifestyle; during the day it sleeps in a hollow, curled up and covering its head with its tail. In case of danger, it also climbs trees. On the ground, pandas move slowly and awkwardly, but they climb trees very well, but, nevertheless, they feed mainly on the ground - mainly on young leaves and bamboo shoots.
Dimensions: Body length 51-64 cm, tail 28-48 cm, weighs 3-4.5 kg
By the way: Little pandas live alone. The female’s “personal” territory occupies an area of about 2.5 square meters. km, the male is twice as large.
6. Sloth
What kind of animal: A partially toothed mammal belonging to the Bradypodidae family.
Habitat: found in Central and South America.
Special features: Sloths spend almost all their time hanging on a tree branch with their backs down; sloths sleep 15 hours a day. The physiology and behavior of sloths is focused on strict energy savings, because... They feed on low-calorie leaves. Digestion takes about a month. In a well-fed sloth, ⅔ of its body weight may be food in its stomach. Sloths have long necks to reach leaves over a large area without moving. The body temperature of an active sloth is 30-34 °C, and at rest it is even lower. Sloths really don’t like to get out of trees, because on the ground they are completely helpless. In addition, it requires energy. They climb down to relieve their natural needs, which they do only once a week (that’s why they have a huge bladder) and sometimes to move to another tree, where, in order to further save energy, they often gather in groups in the forks of branches. There is an assumption that at the same time they mate lazily.
Dimensions: The body weight of different species of sloths varies from 4 to 9 kg, and the body length is about 60 centimeters.
By the way: Sloths are so slow that the moth often lives in their fur.
7. Imperial Tamarina
What kind of animal: Primate, prehensile-tailed monkey.
Habitat: In the Amazon rain forests in areas of southeastern Peru, northwestern Bolivia and northwestern Brazil.
Special features: A distinctive feature of the species is a particularly long white mustache, hanging down to the chest and shoulders in two strands. The toes have claws, not nails, only the big toes of the hind legs have nails. They spend most of their lives in trees, where larger species of monkeys cannot climb due to their weight.
Dimensions: Body length is 9.2-10.4 inches, tail length is 14-16.6 inches. The weight of adults is 180-250 g.
By the way: Tamarins live in groups of 2-8 individuals. All members of the group have their own rank, and at the highest level is the old female. Therefore, males carry the cubs.
8. White-faced saki
What kind of animal: Primate, broad-nosed monkey.
Habitat: Found in rain forests, drier forests and even savannas of the Amazon, Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname and Venezuela.
Special features: The coat color is black, the front of the head, forehead and throat of males are light, almost white. Sometimes the head is reddish in color. The fur is thick and soft, the tail is long and fluffy. The tail is not prehensile. Females have a general coloration of brown and uniform. There are lighter stripes around the nose and mouth.
Dimensions: Males weigh 1.5-2 kg and are slightly heavier than females. Body length 15 inches, tail 20 inches.
By the way: White-faced sakis spend their entire lives in trees. Sometimes they descend into the lower tier of the tropical forest (on the lower branches of trees and shrubs) in search of food. In case of danger, they make long jumps, while the tail serves as a balancer. Active during the day and night.
9. Tapir
What kind of animal: A large herbivore from the order of equids.
Habitat: In Central America, in warm places of South America and in southeast Asia.
Special features: Tapirs are relatively ancient mammals: even among the remains of animals 55 million years old, you can find many tapir-like animals. The closest animals to tapirs are other odd-toed ungulates: equines and rhinoceroses. Their front legs are four-toed, and their hind legs are three-toed; their toes have small hooves that help them move on muddy and soft ground.
Dimensions: The sizes of tapirs differ from species to species, but, as a rule, the length of a tapir is about two meters, the height at the withers is about a meter, and the weight is from 150 to 300 kg.
By the way: Tapirs are forest animals that love water. In forests, tapirs feed on fruits, leaves and berries. Their main enemy is man, who hunts tapirs for their meat and skin.
10. Hagfish
What kind of animal: an animal from the jawless class.
Habitat: They inhabit the seas of temperate latitudes, staying near the bottom at a depth of up to 400 m. At salinity below 29% they stop feeding, and at 25% and below they die.
Special features: The hagfish's mouth opening lacks a suction disc and is surrounded by only two pairs of antennae. By gnawing into the skin of the victim with strong horny teeth, they inject enzymes that dissolve proteins. Hagfishes most often prey on weakened vertebrate and invertebrate animals, as well as carrion. Often they find skeletons of fish covered with skin, and inside there are hagfish that have eaten all their entrails and muscles.
Dimensions: Body length up to 80 cm.
By the way: In Japan and some other countries, hagfish are eaten.
11. Star-nosed
What kind of animal: Insectivorous mammal of the mole family.
Habitat: Found only in southeastern Canada and the northeastern United States.
Special features: Externally, the star-nosed snake differs from other members of the family and from other small animals only in its characteristic stigma structure in the form of a rosette or star of 22 soft, fleshy, mobile bare rays.
Dimensions: The star-nosed mole is similar in size to the European mole. The tail is relatively long (about 8 cm), covered with scales and sparse hair
By the way: When the starfish is looking for food, the fleshy rays on the stigma are in constant motion, with the exception of the two middle-upper ones, which are directed forward and do not bend. When he eats, the rays are pulled together into a compact pile; While eating, the animal holds the food with its front paws. When the starfish drinks, it immerses both the stigma and the entire mustache in water for 5-6 seconds.
12. Proboscis
What kind of animal: A species of primate from the subfamily of slender-bodied monkeys in the family Ape.
Habitat: Distributed exclusively on the island of Borneo, where it inhabits coastal regions and valleys.
Special features: The most striking feature of the proboscis monkey is its large nose, similar to a cucumber, which, however, is only found in males. The fur of proboscis dogs is yellowish-brown on the upper side and white on the underside. The arms, legs and tail are gray, and the hairless face is red.
Dimensions: The size of proboscis monkeys reaches from 66 to 75 cm, the tail is approximately as long as the body. The weight of males ranges from 16 to 22 kg, twice the weight of females.
By the way: Proboscis whales are excellent swimmers, jumping into the water directly from trees and able to overcome up to 20 meters while diving underwater. Of all primates, they are perhaps the best swimmers.
13. Lesser frill
What kind of animal: Family of mammals of the order edentates.
Habitat: Armadillos inhabit steppes, deserts, savannas and forest edges of Central and South America.
Special features: These are the only modern mammals whose body is covered on top with a shell formed by skin ossifications. The shell consists of the head, shoulder and pelvic shields and a number of hoop-like stripes encircling the body from above and from the sides. The parts of the shell are interconnected by elastic connective tissue, which gives mobility to the entire shell.
Dimensions: Body length from 12.5 (frilled armadillos) to 100 cm (giant armadillo); weight from 90 g to 60 kg. Tail length from 2.5 to 50 cm.
By the way: The respiratory tract of armadillos is voluminous and serves as a reservoir of air, so these animals can hold their breath for 6 minutes. This helps them cross bodies of water (often armadillos simply cross them along the bottom). The air taken into the lungs compensates for the weight of the heavy shell, allowing the armadillo to swim.
14. Axolotl
What kind of animal: The larval form of an amphibian from the Ambystomaceae family.
Habitat: In mountain ponds of Mexico.
Special features: Long, shaggy branches grow on the sides of the axolotl’s head, three on each side. These are gills. Periodically, the larva presses them to the body and shakes them to clean them of organic residues. The axolotl's tail is long and wide, which helps it when swimming. It is interesting that the axolotl breathes with both gills and lungs - if the water is poorly saturated with oxygen, then the axolotl switches to pulmonary breathing, and over time its gills partially atrophy.
Dimensions: Total length - up to 30 cm.
By the way: Axolotls lead a very calm, measured lifestyle, without bothering themselves with unnecessary expenditure of energy. They lie calmly on the bottom, sometimes, wagging their tail, they rise to the surface of the water “for a breath of air.” But this is a predator that attacks its prey from ambush.
15. Aye-aye
What kind of animal: the largest animal of their nocturnal primates.
Habitat: Eastern and northern Madagascar. Lives in the same ecological niche as woodpeckers.
Special features: It has a brown color with white speckles and a large fluffy tail; like woodpeckers, it feeds mainly on worms and larvae, although it was initially believed - because of their teeth - that they eat like rodents.
Dimensions: Weight - about 2.5 kg. Length - 30-37 cm without tail and 44-53 cm with tail.
By the way: One of the rarest animals on the planet - several dozen individuals, which is why it was discovered relatively recently.
16. Alpaca
What kind of animal: an animal of the camel family.
Habitat: Peru, Bolivia, Chile, at an altitude of over 3500-5000 meters.
Special features: Valued primarily for its wool (24 natural shades), which has all the properties of sheep, but is much lighter in weight. 5 kg of wool is sheared from one individual; they are sheared once a year. The absence of front teeth forces alpacas to pick up food with their lips and chew with their lateral teeth. A very good-natured, intelligent, inquisitive animal.
Dimensions: Alpaca height is 61-86 cm, and weight is 45-77 kg.
By the way: The Indians believed that in order for an alpaca's wool to be blessed, it was necessary to kill it by tearing its heart out of its chest. Nowadays this is considered barbaric, but cases when several men hold an alpaca while someone cuts out a heart from its chest still occur.
17. Tarsier
What kind of animal: a mammal from the genus of primates.
Habitat: Tarsiers live in Southeast Asia, primarily on the islands.
Special features: Tarsiers are particularly distinguished by their long hind limbs, large head that can rotate almost 360°, and good hearing. The fingers are extremely long, the ears are round and bare. The soft wool has a brown or grayish tint. However, the most noticeable feature is the large eyes, up to 16 mm in diameter. When projected onto human height, tarsiers correspond to the size of an apple.
Dimensions: Tarsiers are small animals, their height ranges from 9 to 16 cm. In addition, they have a bare tail with a length of 13 to 28 cm. Weight varies from 80 to 160 grams.
By the way: In the past, tarsiers played a big role in the mythology and superstition of the peoples of Indonesia. The Indonesians thought that the heads of tarsiers were not attached to the body (since they could rotate almost 360°), and were afraid to encounter them, because they believed that the same fate could happen to people in this case.
18. Dumbo Octopus
What kind of animal: A small and peculiar deep-sea octopus, a representative of cephalopods.
Habitat: Found in the Tasman Sea.
Special features: Apparently he got his nickname in honor of the famous cartoon character - the baby elephant Dumbo, who was ridiculed for his large ears (in the middle of the body the octopus has a pair of rather long, paddle-shaped fins resembling ears). Its individual tentacles are literally connected to the ends by a thin elastic membrane called the umbrella. It, together with the fins, serves as the main mover of this animal, that is, the octopus moves like jellyfish, pushing water out from under the umbrella bell.
Dimensions: the found octopus is half the size of a human palm.
By the way: Little is known today about the varieties, habits and behavior of these octopuses.
19. frilled lizard
What kind of animal: A lizard from the agamidae family.
Habitat: Northwestern Australia and southern New Guinea. There it lives in dry forests and forest-steppes.
Special features: Coloration from yellow-brown to black-brown. It stands out for its long tail, which makes up two-thirds of the length of the frilled lizard's body. However, the most noticeable feature is the large collar-shaped fold of skin located around the head and adjacent to the body. The fold contains numerous blood vessels. The frilled lizard has strong limbs and sharp claws.
Dimensions: The length of the frilled lizard ranges from 80 to 100 cm, females are significantly smaller than males.
By the way: When in danger, it opens its mouth, sticks out its brightly colored collar (it can stand up to 30 cm from the body), stands on its hind legs, makes hissing sounds and hits the ground with its tail - which makes it seem scarier and more dangerous than it is.
20. Narwhal
What kind of animal: a unicorn, a mammal of the unicorn family.
Habitat: The narwhal lives in high latitudes - in the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic.
Special features: In the size and shape of the body, pectoral fins and dark coloration of the suckers, narwhals are similar to beluga whales, however, adult individuals are distinguished by spotting - grayish-brown spots on a light background, which sometimes merge - and the presence of only 2 upper teeth. Of these, the left one develops in males into a tusk up to 2-3 m long and weighing up to 10 kg, twisted in a left-hand spiral, while the right one usually does not erupt. The right tusk in males and both tusks in females are hidden in the gums and develop rarely, in about one case out of 500.
Dimensions: The body length of an adult narwhal is 3.5-4.5 m, newborns are about 1.5 m. The weight of males reaches 1.5 tons, of which about a third of the weight is fat; females weigh about 900 kg.
By the way: It’s not exactly clear why a narwhal needs a tusk, but not to break through a crust of ice. This tusk is a sensitive organ and presumably allows the narwhal to sense changes in pressure, temperature and relative concentration of suspended particles in the water. By crossing their tusks, narwhals apparently clear them of growths.
21. Madagascar suckerfoot
What kind of animal: Chiropteran mammal.
Habitat: Found only in Madagascar.
Special features: On the bases of the thumbs of the wings and on the soles of the hind limbs, sucker bats have complex rosette suckers, which are located directly on the skin (unlike the suckers on sucker-footed bats).
Dimensions: Small animal: body length 5.7 cm, tail 4.8 cm; weight 8-10 g.
By the way: The biology and ecology of suckerfoot has been practically unstudied. Most likely, it uses rolled up leathery palm leaves as shelters, to which it sticks with its suckers. All suckers were caught close to the water. Listed in the Red Book with the status “vulnerable”.
22. Pygmy marmoset
What kind of animal: One of the smallest primates, belongs to the broad-nosed monkeys.
Habitat: South America, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador.
Special features: The marmoset's nostrils are directed forward, and its nose is large and wide.
Dimensions: The weight of an adult does not exceed 120 g.
By the way: Lives well in captivity. When kept, it requires a constant temperature of 25-29 degrees, slightly higher humidity of 60%.
23. Blob fish
What kind of animal: fish, scientific name Psychrolutes marcidus.
Habitat: lives in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, found in deep waters (about 2800 m) of the coast of Australia and Tasmania.
Special features: Drop fish live at depths where the pressure is several tens of times higher than at sea level, and in order to maintain viability, the body of the drop fish consists of a gel-like mass with a density slightly less than water; this allows fish to swim above the seabed without expending energy to swim.
Dimensions: Maximum body length is about 65 cm.
By the way: Lack of muscles is not a disadvantage, since the blob fish feeds on prey that swims around it.
24. Platypus
What kind of animal: A waterfowl mammal of the order Monotreme.
Habitat: Australia.
Special Features: Its most curious quality is that it has a duck's beak instead of an ordinary mouth, allowing it to feed in the mud like birds."
Dimensions: The body length of the platypus is 30-40 cm, the tail is 10-15 cm, it weighs up to 2 kg. Males are about a third larger than females.
By the way: The platypus is one of the few poisonous mammals; it is generally not fatal to humans, but it causes very severe pain, and swelling develops at the injection site, which gradually spreads to the entire limb; pain can last for many days or even months.
25. Shoebill or royal heron
What kind of animal: A bird of the wavy order.
Habitat: Africa.
Special features: The shoebill’s neck is not very long and thick. The head is large, with a small and, one might say, sloppy crest at the back of the head. The beak is massive and very wide, somewhat swollen. There is a hanging hook at the end of the beak. The shoebill's plumage is generally dark gray, with powdery down on the back, but no such down on the chest. The legs are long and black. The shoebill has a short tongue; There is no muscular stomach, but the glandular one is very large.
Dimensions: Shoebill is a large bird, in a standing position it has a height of 75-90 cm; wing length 65-69 cm.
By the way: This lethargic bird often stands completely still, holding its large beak on its chest. The shoebill feeds on various aquatic animals - fish, crocodiles, frogs and small turtles.
Today I decided to write about the most unusual animals on our planet. As it turned out, there are quite a few of them; I didn’t even know about many of them before. I'll start my post with Star-nosed:
An unusual mole that feeds on insects. What makes it unique is its fleshy nose with 22 pink tentacles.
Fainting goats
In the state of Tennessee, through the efforts of breeders, a breed of goats was developed that, in emergency situations, fall into a stupor. This is due to a rare genetic disease - in stressful situations, animals experience complete muscle paralysis, since it is impossible to stand in this state, they fall on their side or on their back. At the same time, the goats are fully conscious. Situations in which a fainting goat may lose its “feelings”: a threat to life, a large amount of its favorite grain and a charming representative of the opposite sex.
Angora rabbit
One of the most ancient breeds of rabbits, and the fluffiest.
Aye-aye or Little Hand
Lives in Madagascar. Despite the fact that it resembles a rodent, it belongs to the suborder of prosimians.
Pacu fish
A relative of the piranha. Gained fame thanks to human teeth. The fish's diet is based on plants and nuts, however, there are legends about biting off male testicles.
Giant isopod
It looks like a huge woodlice and lives underwater at a depth of 170-2000 meters. It can reach up to 37 cm in length and weigh 1.7 kg.
Snakehead
The fish is distinguished not only by its appearance, but by its bad character. She eats all the fish in the pond, not excluding her offspring. But that’s not all - when everything in the reservoir is eaten, the fish moves to land - in search of a suitable victim, the fish can remain on the ground for up to three days. There are known cases of attacks on people.
Saigas have lived on earth since the time of mammoths and saber-toothed tigers; they are one of the most ancient mammals.
Grimpoteuthys or Dumbo the Octopus
The deepest sea octopus. Can live at a depth of 4900 meters. Personally, it looks like Pikachu to me
Red-lipped damselfish
The inhabitants of the Galapagos Islands mostly move along the bottom instead of swimming. They became widely known thanks to such provocative “makeup”.
Maned wolf
It can be found in South America. Unusual long legs have developed as a result of evolution, so the animal can better overcome the tall grass that grows on the plains.
Hell Vampire
The only cephalopod that can live at a depth of a thousand meters.
Japanese giant salamander
The largest amphibian. It can grow up to 160 cm in length and reach a weight of up to 180 kg. Life expectancy is up to 150 years.
bearded pig
There are three types of bearded pig: the curly bearded pig, the Bornean bearded pig and the Palawan bearded pig.
Sumatran rhinoceroses
Even-toed ungulates are animals from the rhinoceros family. The smallest representatives of their family.
Forest giraffe or okapi
A bizarre animal that resembles a zebra horse. Found only in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The female carries the cubs for a whopping 450 days!
Palm thief
The decapod crayfish got its nickname due to its addiction to coconuts. They can grow up to 40 cm in length and weigh 4 kg.
Mudskipper
Leapers inhabit mangrove forests and tropical coasts. Not only do they feel great on the ground, but they can also climb trees. To attract partners they jump high.
Tibetan fox
One of the smallest representatives of its species, the fox's head appears square due to its thick fur.
Mouse Deer Kanchili
The smallest representative of artiodactyls. The size of an adult mouse deer is 44-45 cm. Life expectancy is 12 years.
